Why Don’t We Follow Through and How We Can

So many clients tell me they want to loose weight, workout more consistently, eat healthier, or sleep better, along with a slew of other health related goals. And so many of them don’t seem to follow through with what they say they want. In the world of fitness and wellness, a simple google search is going to tell you everything you actually need to do to feel better. As the saying goes, you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make them drink. So why is it that so many of us keep this idea of something better in our head yet never seem to achieve our goal?

It’s a question I’ve thought a lot about over my years as a yoga teacher, endurance athlete, and coach. I really wish I could bottle up the reason and give it to you, but the answer is so much more elusive than that. Coaches of all disciplines deal with the same issue. Why can’t we get our people to do what we know they should do? Full disclaimer, I do the same thing in certain areas of my life. I just happen to be really good at fitness and wellness. Why can’t we get them to do what THEY know they should do? I don’t know, but what I do know is that we can start by being an example.

If you follow my writing you know that these last few months have been pretty epic in terms of physical achievement. I climbed Kilimanjaro for the first time and just completed my first Ironman triathlon. Both things I had thought about doing for many years. I never let the goals out of my sight. I dealt with injuries, marriage, child birth (well, not actually me), businesses opening and closing, other races, and so much more. But in the back of my mind, I always thought, eventually I’ll do an Ironman, eventually I’ll climb Kilimanjaro. This year I just happened to do both in less than 6 weeks of each other. I don’t recommend that training, but that is my story. The Ironman came just a couple of weeks ago and it was incredibly tough and rewarding at the same time.

It’s the rewarding part that I want to focus on today. I remember when I quit smoking. It was incredibly tough, but I knew it wasn’t good for me and I knew that someday I would get through the tough part and make it to the good clean living part again. It took somewhere between 6 and 9 months to finally feel happy that I didn’t smoke. Recently, I had to change my diet due to a pre-diabetic or insulin resistance diagnosis. I always thought that because of my training, I could eat anything. Well, it turns out that’s not the case. After further examination, I found out I was taking in way more carbohydrates than I should’ve been. I’ve since adopted a low carb diet that’s been working really well for me.

These have all been goals I’ve set and conquered by sheer consistency, determination, and grit. It hasn’t been easy and at times it’s been quite painful, but I always knew that I would get through whatever discomfort was presented. That leads me to your solutions for conquering your goals. They are simple.

Unwavering Commitment

You must be solely focused on your goal and even when you take a few steps backward, you must commit to getting back on track right away. It took me 8 years to complete my first Ironman, but I never lost sight of the goal.

Self Discipline

I live in the small town of Malibu and there aren’t too many endurance athletes who do what I do. Recently, I decided to go for a 22 mile run with 6000 feet of climbing. It took me 4 1/2 hours in the hot sun. I was by myself the entire time. You must tap into the side of yourself that believes you can do it. Then you must stick with that place because you will have to train alone, or work alone, or come to whatever the decision is, alone. But know that you can be better!

Repeat

There is an indescribable feeling of euphoria when you cross the finish line of a big race or reach the top of a tall mountain. You can tell people the story, you can show them pictures, but there is no way they can truly understand the journey. They must do it for themselves to get the same satisfaction, but once you begin the journey of commitment, completion, and repetition, you will see that there is a force that moves you toward your next goal. You just have to follow the path. I’m always here to help you along the way, just reach out and take the first step. @teddymcdonald.

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Ted McDonald is a yoga teacher, fitness trainer, endurance athlete, entrepreneur, avid traveler and philanthropist. A former Elite Adventure Racer and a Lacrosse player at UCLA, he has been an athlete his entire life. He began teaching yoga and meditation over a decade ago and continues to compete in marathons and triathlons. Educated in both Iyengar and Ashtanga styles of yoga, he focuses his yoga sessions on strength, alignment and the breath, in order to help students increase their flexibility, strength and focus. He teaches many forms of meditation and a yin or restorative yoga class specifically designed to lengthen connective tissue, prevent injuries and open energetic pathways in the body. He is the founder of Adventure Yoga Retreats, a company that organizes premium travel adventures that enrich lives and inspire people to perform at their highest level. His versatility and knowledge allows him to successfully tailor his teaching and retreats to a diverse audience, including athletes, business professionals, yoga teachers, as well as beginning students. He owns 5 Point Yoga, two premiere yoga and fitness studios in Malibu, California. Ted co-created and is featured in Tony Horton’s p90x:2 yoga sequence as well as Tony’s yoga “expert” for his one-on-one video series. He is a long time lululemon ambassador and is the designated yoga teacher for the Tour de France winning professional cycling BMC Racing Team. And most recently Ted’s Yoga bootcamp video series for ExerciseTV was released with great success.

Start here...

Enter your email and you'll automatically receive the meditation videos. Thank you for being here. We'll keep you up to date with our latest adventures, knowledge, and cool stuff to help us all transform our lives!

Success! One more step to get started with your meditation transformation! Check your email to confirm your subscription and the videos will begin immediately! Thank you so much for giving meditation a shot. I've had so many profound experiences and I hope you find the same to be true. I'm always here to help, so feel free to send me a note. Peace, Ted.

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